By the Pennsauken Board of Education: Nick Perry, President; Dung Nguyen, Vice President; Armando Diaz; Michael Hurley; Diane Johnson; Allyson Meloni; Leona Moss; Meg Snyder; and Joann Young
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The words of former South African President Nelson Mandela could not be truer, especially to a school board member. Board members clearly value education, not only for the students in the districts that they serve, but also for themselves. After all, education is a lifelong quest!
Each October, board of education members from around the state of New Jersey congregate at the New Jersey Schools Boards Association (NJSBA) annual workshop to become educated on issues relevant to schools. The workshop provides school board members with the opportunity to attend a variety of sessions that increase their understanding of school board related matters including finance, policy making decisions, classroom technologies, school district funding, contract negotiations, capital improvements and school law, just to name a few. Besides these various topics presented at the workshop, board members also have the chance to complete mandatory trainings in board governance, which refers to the rules for how boards of education operate.
Much like the first NJSBA workshop, held in 1953, this year’s meeting was held in Atlantic City. The theme of the workshop was “Empowering the 21st Century Student.” Students are always at the forefront of every decision that board members make. The Pennsauken Board of Education’s focus is on making our students successful. This year’s conference centered on enabling board members to gain the knowledge that will ensure that schools have the resources both financially and academically to allow students to reach their fullest potential. Some of the educational sessions available to board members at the workshop this year included: “How to Increase Class Time and Improve Quality Student Instruction;” “How Board Members Can Handle Challenging Situations;” “Using Board Recognition to Increase Student Achievement;” and “School-Municipal Cooperation: Creative Solutions to the Two Percent Cap.”
All nine Pennsauken Board of Education Members attended the workshop this year. We are very excited to increase our knowledge through the variety of sessions that are available. We value the opportunity to not only educate ourselves but also to use what we have learned to create an even better school district!
Board Bit Of The Month
The New Jersey Schools Boards Association (NJSBA), the host of the annual workshop described in this article, is an association for school board members and has been in existence since 1913. There are currently 4,800 members, including all nine members from the Pennsauken Board of Education.
